Cat Hill

Cat Hill

Cat Hill grew up in upstate New York on a working farm. Her first clear memory is of the day her parents got her a pony for her fifth birthday. She grew up on that pony, and the pony was followed by a series of Arabian show horses. In college, Cat started riding show hunters with the intercollegiate horse show team at SUNY Geneseo. After receiving her degree, she followed her love of horses to Ireland to be a working student at Mullingar Equestrian Centre, an hour northwest of Dublin. Quickly promoted to barn manager, she spent half a year working with show jumpers and eventers.

Upon returning to the United States, Cat spent time as a working student for a top Grand Prix dressage rider, a winter working the Winter Equestrian Festival for a Grand Prix show jumping rider, and moved on to manage a AA hunter barn. From there she worked for eventer Craig Thompson, learning the ropes of grooming at events, before being hired to manage top competitor Mara DePuy’s barn. After leaving DePuy to move closer to family, Cat began freelancing as a groom in every discipline, as well as teaching lower-level riders in dressage, jumping, and eventing. Over the years, she has worked at almost every type of equine competition, from the local fair to the Pan American Games.